Spring structure



R. E. M ELROY SfRING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 18. 1930 2 sheets-sheet 1 I gmmtgw Haber? E. M llrog,

Oct. 6, 1931. R MCELROY 1,826,012

SPRING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 18. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 swam Wot Iioberl? 15'. M EZroy,

akozmq Patented Oct. 6, 1931 by the formation frame of the structure,

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE ROBERT E. IcELBOY, or mcxson, MICHIGAN, ass'mnon r0 narrows srnme com 4 PM; or ucxson, nearest:

SPRING S'I'BUGE'UBE Application and January 18, 1930. Serial in. larger.

This invention relates to springstructures, With the above and other objects in view,

designed particularly for automobile seats.

It is the custom in this art to provide the spring structures with an overhang at the front and rear upper edge of the structure,

and generally this is accomplished by having the upper frame project forwardly and rearwardly beyond the front and rear of the base with the .front and rear rows of springs connected by a wire having its ends connected to the ends of the upper frame, and this wire is generally offset of kinks or bends which bridge the space between such wire and the frame, and clips are used to connect the olfsets to the upper frame. This necessitates providing the offsets under certain specifications, according to the size or model of the spring structure, which requires time and more or less accuracy in the formation of the oflsets as well as the em loyment of separate clips for securing the 0 sets to the structure.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a clip constructed in order to obviate the present practice of kinking, bending, or offsetting at intervals the upper frame wire or the usual wire which cooperates therewith for the provision of the usual overhang at the front and rear upper edge of sprin seat structures,'and to utilize this clip for t%e securing of the adjacent end of diagonal or horizontal stay wires to eliminate the employment'of a separate clip to setween the frame wire and the cooperating ,wire, whereby-to enable the manufacture of these clips in one or more sizes required, and accumulation of them in stock as a standard part, to overcome the difliculties experienced in the use of the adjacent ofl'sets, which have to be made to pattern and which are not interchangeable.

which may be formedthe invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a base frame of any suitable character but shown as of U-shape in cross section, and 2 indicates an upper frame of wire or other suitable material, 3 indicating springs of any suitable type mounted on suitable supporting bars4.

The upper frame overhangs the base frame at the front and rear of the structure, and straight wires 5 and 6 extend from end to end of the upper frame in spaced relation to the front and rear of the upper frame and substantially in vertical alignment with the front and rear of the base frame, and, to these wires 5 and 6 the front and rear rows of springs are secured at their upper ends as at 7, leaving an overhang at the upper edge of the front and rear of the structure. The ends of these wires 5 and 6 are bent laterally as at 8, and these bent ends are secured by clips 9 to the'ends of the upper frames.

Clips A are adapted to bridge the space between each straight wire 5 -6 and the adjacent edge of the upper frame, these clips being arranged at intervals in spaced relation, as shown. Each clip is formed alike and each consists of a body portion 10 having one end bent back upon itself as at 11 to embrace the respective wire 5-6 and having its opposite end bent back upon itself as at 12 to embrace the front or the rear of the upper frame as the case may be, and also to 100 embrace the laterally bent end 13 of a diagonal stay 14 which extends across the cli A and over the wire from which the diagonal sta extends downwardly and has its laterally directed end 15 fitted in the U-shaped base frame 1 and pinched therein, as shown at '16.

The clips A are serviceable for connecting horizontal stays 17 to the wires 5 and 6 and the front and rear portions of the upper frame, as for instance, the laterally directed ends 18 of the horizontal stays 17 are connected to the clips A in the same manner that the forward end of the diagonal stay 14 is connected to the clip A. Further description of this connection of the horizontal stays 17 seems unnecessary. It might be noted, however, that the clips A might be reversed and the diagonal stays have their forward ends connected thereto from the under side rather than on the upper side, as indicated at C, and as a matter of fact, as is obvious, both ends of the horizontal stays may be connected to the under side of the clips C-C at both ends, if desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in the use of the clips A and C, which are formed alike, these clips may be kept in various sizes in stock, and that by virtue of the mounting hereinbefore described, it is not necessary to kink or bend or otherwise offset the wires 56 or the front and rear wire portions of the upper frame, and yet an effectual connection between such elements is obtained to prevent any hinge action incident to pressures or stresses occasioned by the weight of the occupant.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spring structure, a base frame, an upper frame, rows of springs mounted between said frames, the upper frame extending forwardly beyond the front of the base frame, a straight wire secured to the upper frame and extending in parallelism with the front of the upper frame, and spaced therefrom and secured to the front row of springs, stay wires arranged between rows of springs and having their forward ends engaging the front of the upper frame, and flat clips bridging the space between the front of the upper frame and said wire and secured to the frame and to said wire and also secured to the forward ends of the stay wires.

2. In a spring structure, a base frame, an upper frame, rows of springs arranged between said frames, the upper frame extending forwardly beyond the front of the base frame, a straight wire secured to the upper frame and extending in parallelism with the front of the upper frame and spaced there from and secured to the front row of springs stay wires arranged between rows of springs and having their forward ends bent and lying in engagement with the front of the upper frame, and clips securing the front of the u per frame and said wire and the for ward ent ends of the stay wires together.

3. In a spring structure, a base frame, an upper frame which overhangs the base frame at the front and rear thereof, a wire secured to the upper frame near the front portion thereof vertically above the base frame and extending in parallelism with the front of the upper frame and spaced therefrom, a second wire secured to the upper frame in spaced relation to the rear of the upper frame and connected to the rear row of springs, clips connecting each of said wires with the respective front or rear portion of the upper frame, and stay wires having their ends connected to said clips.

4. In a spring structure, a base frame, an upper frame, springs arranged between the frames, the upper frame extending beyond the front of the base frame at one side of the latter, a straight wire secured to the upper frame and extending in parallelism with and spaced from the front of the up er frame, a stay wire having its forward en located adjacent the front of the upper frame, and a flat clip bridging the space between the front of the upper frame and said straight wire and secured to the frame and to said straight wire and also secured to the forward end of said stay wire.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT E. McELROY. 

